Sunshade

ABSTRACT

A sunshade has a shade and at least two supports, with each support having a second end that is coupled to the shade at spaced-apart locations thereof. The sunshade also has a connector coupled to the first end of each support, the connector having a central portion that has a groove, and a leaf for coupling the first end of each support. The leaf is hingedly connected to the central portion by an integral thin section and has a locking member fitted inside the groove to hold the leaf at a fixed position with respect to the central portion. Each support of the sunshade can also have an adjustable length.

RELATED CASE

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending Ser. No. 09/119,830,entitled “Sunshade”, filed Jul. 21, 1998, whose disclosure isincorporated by this reference as though fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to sunshades that can be used forshading the interior of a vehicle from the heat of sunlight.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Vehicles, particularly cars, are commonly left unattended inplaces exposed to sunshine. For security, the windows of such a vehicleare usually closed and there is little airflow through the vehicles.Accordingly, the interior of the vehicle often warms up as a result ofthe sun shining on the vehicle. The temperature inside the vehicle mayrise significantly above the ambient temperature to a temperature thatis particularly uncomfortable when a person desires to enter the car. Afurther problem caused is that the significant heat generated may damageobjects contained within the car or internal parts of the car which aresensitive to heat. Also, parts of the car which must be touched by thedriver in order to properly drive the car may be heated to a temperaturethat is uncomfortable to touch by bare hands. This may lead to dangerousdriving practices.

[0006] The problem of the temperature inside a car rising has existedfor some time and is particularly acute in those places where there isgreater exposure to sunshine. To some extent, this problem is alsoseasonal, being greater in summer. While one solution is to allowsignificant airflow through the vehicle (by, for example, opening all ofthe doors) and allowing the transfer of air to reduce the heat insidethe vehicle before entering the vehicle, this may take some time whichis often unacceptable to the driver, or other intended occupants, of thevehicle.

[0007] It is known to provide a substantially opaque material across thesurface of the windscreen of a vehicle (whether inside or outside) so asto shade the interior of the vehicle. This has been found to reduce therate at which the temperature inside the vehicle increases as well as toreduce the temperature of controls necessary to properly operate thevehicle. In addition, reflective coatings have been applied to suchmaterials to better reflect heat and light from external sources, suchas the sun.

[0008] It is also known to provide such sunshades in a relativelyclosely woven netting form so as to provide shade without completelyblocking out all light. This is particularly appropriate for sidewindows where the shades may be left in place while the vehicle is beingdriven and permit some transparency for occupants of the vehicle to seethrough them.

[0009] A difficulty with all of these methods has been a complicated ortime-consuming method for affixing the sunshades in place. It is knownto use suction cups to affix the sunshade to a window and also tosuspend or attach the sunshade to interior fittings of a vehicle, suchas grab handles and rear view mirrors. Other sunshades are known whichare of sufficient rigidity that they retain (without external support)an expanded configuration and can be located between, for example, arear view mirror and the windscreen, with a lower edge supported by thevehicle dashboard, but these must be carefully folded after each use.Other sunshades are affixed by being placed, for example, along theinside of a front side window, through the door hinge and across theoutside of the windscreen and then through the opposite front door hingealong the inside of the opposite front door and thereby being jammedinto position. A combination of these methods of attachment may be used.However, all of these methods require some effort and time in order toaffix the sunshade, particularly where connection means, such as straps,clips and suction cups, must be affixed. Time and effort is alsorequired in known products to store or stow the sunshade in the vehiclein a safe and tidy manner. It has been found that vehicle drivers preferto minimize the time required in order to affix such a sunshade.

[0010] Another common problem associated with conventional sunshades isthat windshields for different automobiles have different sizes. Mostconventional sunshades come in a predetermined shape and size, so theyoften do not provide a proper fit for the windshield that they are beingused with.

[0011] Thus, there remains a need for a vehicle sunshade which isrelatively quick and easy to install, and to collapse or fold into ashape or configuration which may be stored safely and compactly in avehicle. There also remains a need for a vehicle sunshade whose size canbe varied to fit windshields of different sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0012] The objectives of the present invention can be accomplished byproviding a sunshade that has a shade and at least two supports, witheach support having a second end that is coupled to the shade atspaced-apart locations thereof. The sunshade also has a connectorcoupled to the first end of each support, the connector having a centralportion that has a groove, and a leaf for coupling the first end of eachsupport. The leaf is hingedly connected to the central portion by anintegral thin section and has a locking member fitted inside the grooveto hold the leaf at a fixed position with respect to the centralportion.

[0013] The present invention also provides a sunshade that has a shadeand at least two supports, with one end of each support coupled to theshade at spaced-apart locations thereof, and each support having anadjustable length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sunshade for a vehicle accordingto a first embodiment of the present invention adapted to fit across acomplete windscreen.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the sunshade of FIG.1 shown in a partly collapsed condition.

[0016]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the sunshade of FIG.1 shown in a fully collapsed condition.

[0017]FIG. 4 is a plan view of a sunshade according to a secondembodiment of the present invention.

[0018]FIGS. 5a, 5 b and 5 c are cross-sectional views of the connectorsand the supports for the sunshade of FIG. 1 shown in the collapsedcondition, fully expanded condition, and partly expanded condition,respectively.

[0019]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1.

[0020]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 6 takenalong line A-A.

[0021]FIGS. 8a and 8 b are cross-sectional and plan views, respectively,of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0022]FIGS. 9a and 9 b are cross-sectional and plan views, respectively,of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0023]FIGS. 10a and 10 b are side and plan views, respectively, of aconnector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[0024]FIG. 10c is a perspective view of a sunshade utilizing theconnector of FIGS. 10a and 10 b.

[0025]FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIGS. 10aand 10 b.

[0026] FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate how a combination of the sunshade ofFIGS. 10 and 11 can be configured to cover larger areas.

[0027] FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate sunshades similar to the sunshade ofFIGS. 10 and 11, but having different shapes and number of leaves intheir connectors.

[0028]FIG. 14 illustrates a sunshade similar to the sunshade of FIGS. 10and 11, but having a plurality of connectors.

[0029]FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate the use of suction cups with thesunshade of FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0030] FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate how the sunshade of FIGS. 10 and 11 canbe converted into an umbrella.

[0031]FIG. 17 illustrates another modification that can be made to thesunshade of FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0032]FIGS. 18A and 18B are side views illustrating a modification thatcan be made to the connector of FIGS. 10a and 10 b.

[0033]FIGS. 18C and 18D are top views of the connector of FIGS. 18A and18B, respectively.

[0034]FIG. 19 illustrates a modification that can be made to thesupports of the sunshade of FIG. 10c.

[0035] FIGS. 20 is a perspective view of a sunshade utilizing thesupport of FIG. 19.

[0036] FIGS. 21 is a perspective view of a sunshade utilizing adifferent support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] The following detailed description is of the best presentlycontemplated modes of carrying out the invention. This description isnot to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purposeof illustrating general principles of embodiments of the invention. Thescope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0038]FIG. 1 illustrates a collapsible sunshade 1 located between avehicle windscreen 2 and two sun visors 3. The sunshade 1 includes aplurality of supports 4, each having an outer end 6 and an inner end 5.Each support 4 can be a rod made of a relatively stiff material, such assprung steel, fiberglass, or plastic. Each outer end 6 is connected to acollapsible shade 7 which is adapted to abut the windscreen 2 and isheld in its expanded configuration by the supports 4. The shade 7 can bea thin sheet material having a slight elasticity and good shieldingproperties, such as a fabric cloth of natural, synthetic or blend fiber,plastic film or sheet, metal foil, TYVEK™ spunbonded olefin, or alaminate material. The shade 7 can also be provided in a meshed materialor fabric to allow some visibility therethrough. A reflective coating orfilm can be provided on the top surface of the shade 7 to reflectsunlight and repel heat radiation.

[0039] The inner ends 5 of the supports 4 are connected at a connector10, which is attached to the shade 7. The details of the connector 10will be described in greater detail below in connection with FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5 c, 6 and 7. In this embodiment, the shade 7 also functions toresiliently bias the connector 10 in either direction away from anunstable equilibrium configuration of the supports 4 relative to eachother when the connector 10 is in a position approximately co-planarwith at least two of the outer ends 6, as described in greater detailhereinbelow.

[0040] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, four rods 4 are provided tosupport a generally rectangular shade 7. Each outer end 6 of each rod 4is attached to the shade 7 by the formation of a small generallytriangular pocket 8 at each corner of the shade 7. An attachmentmechanism is provided inside each pocket 8 to prevent the outer end 6from being inadvertently removed from the pocket 8 when the sunshade 1is in its collapsed condition. Such attachment mechanisms can include athread (not shown) attached to the shade 7 and passed through a bore(not shown) provided in the support 4 adjacent its outer end 6.

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the inner end 5 of each support 4is located in the connector 10. The connector 10 may be made of arelatively hard material, such as plastic. The connector 10 can be madefrom two separate housing pieces 10 a and 10 b that are connectedtogether. Connector 10 includes a cavity 12 and groove 13, with eachinner end 5 positioned within a groove 13. Each cavity 12 and groove 13is formed by gaps provided in and between the two housing pieces 10 aand 10 b. A foot 14 and a segment 15 of each inner end 5 are receivedwithin cavity 12 and groove 13 of the connector 10, respectively onlythe end portion of each cavity 12 can be seen in FIG. 6, and isillustrated by the empty space designated by the numeral 11.

[0042] The foot 14 is angled with respect to the main segment 15 ofsupport 4, and in the present embodiment is generally right-angled(i.e., about ninety degrees). The foot 14 is contained within thecorrespondingly shaped cavity 12 in connector 10 and is retained as aresult of the limited movement permitted of the segment 15 in the planeof the connector 10 against the wall of the groove 13. Cavity 12therefore forms a hinged connection between connector 10 and support 4.

[0043] As best illustrated in FIG. 7, in use, each foot 14 of each innerend 5 is retained in a cavity 12 of the connector 10. In FIG. 7, thefoot 14 of the left support 4a protrudes out of the page towards thereader, whereas the foot 14 of the right support 4 b extends into thepage. When the shade is moved from the expanded state shown in FIG. 5bto the collapsed state shown in FIG. 5a, each support 4 rotates out ofthe groove 13 by being moved by a user holding the connector 10 (or knob16) with one hand and one of the supports 4 with the other, therebyrotating foot 14 within cavity 12. The supports 4 move away from theplane of the connector 10 (as shown in FIG. 5b) towards each other to aperpendicular position with respect to the plane of the connector 10, tocollapse the shade (as shown in FIG. 5a). In the collapsed state,segments 15 of each support 4 protrude out of the page towards thereader, with reference to FIG. 6, and the outer ends 6 of the supports 4have moved towards each other.

[0044] Similarly, as the shade is moved from its collapsed state to theexpanded state, the support 4 rotates towards groove 13, therebyrotating foot 14 within cavity 12 in the opposite direction, untilsegment 15 meets inner surface 17 of the connector 10. Further rotationof the support in this direction is limited by abutment of segment 15 ofthe support 4 against the inner surface 17 of housing piece 10 a. Asillustrated in FIG. 7, segment 15 is positioned within groove 13 formedby housing piece lob. Housing piece 10 a forms inner surface 17 thatacts as a stop against which segment 15 abuts when the shade is expandedas illustrated in FIG. 5b. A knob 16 extends from the top of connector10, and can be used by a user to grip the connector 10 to collapse thesunshade 1 from its expanded position.

[0045]FIGS. 5a, 5 b and 5 c illustrate the connector 10 at the differentpositions assumed by the sunshade 1. The shade 7 is fixedly connected tothe outer ends 6 at a position such that the shade 7 is not fullystretched in the position shown in FIGS. 5b or 5 c, but is substantiallystretched when the sunshade 1 is in the unstable equilibriumconfiguration, which is a position where the supports 4 are parallel andgenerally co-planar to each other (i.e., between the positions shown inFIGS. 5b and 5 c). In FIG. 5a, the sunshade 1 is in its fully collapsedposition and the supports 4 are shown with their outer ends 6 relativelyclose together. In this embodiment, the bottom of surface 17 of portion13 acts as a stop to limit movement of outer ends 6 away from eachother, as shown in FIG. 5b. In FIG. 5b, the shade 7 is resilientlybiasing the outer ends 6 towards each other and the bottom surfaces 17on the two portions 13 shown represent the stop. In FIG. 5c, thesunshade 1 is shown at an intermediate position shortly before a “first”position at which the shade 7 (as a resilient biasing element) starts toresist further movement of the connector 10 from the right to the leftas shown by the arrow B.

[0046] Thus, the sunshade 1 may be deployed by gripping the connector 10(such as at the grip 16), and then moving the connector 10 through afirst position (shown in FIG. 5c) at which the shade 7 begins to resistcontinued movement in the same direction of the connector 10, thenthrough a second position of unstable equilibrium of the shade 7 andsupports 4 relative to each other (between FIGS. 5b and 5 c), and thento a third stable or deployed position (shown in FIG. 5b) resulting incooperation between the stop (i.e., bottom of surface 17) and the shade7. In the third position, the sunshade 1 is in an expanded positionsupported by the supports 4, with the outer ends 6 closer to thewindscreen than the connector 10. The sunshade 1 can be collapsed byreversing the above steps; in particular, by applying force to cause theshade to pass through the unstable equilibrium position andsubsequently, the first position, until the sunshade 1 is collapsed tothe configuration shown in FIG. 5a.

[0047]FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of a sunshade according tothe present invention that is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1, inwhich the shade 7 is in its expanded condition. The supports 4 arepositioned within longitudinal pockets 18 that are affixed to the shade7. The connector 10 is illustrated generically by a circle, but has thesame structure as connector 10 described above in connection with FIGS.5a, 5 b, 5 c, 6 and 7. The dashed lines between the outer ends 6indicates the lines of tension in the shade 7 created by the outer ends6 and the resilient biasing of the shade 7 that urge the connector 10into the page towards the shade 7. The portions of the shade 7 outsidethe dashed lines are thus less firmly held or tensioned.

[0048]FIGS. 8a and 8 b illustrate an alternative construction for theconnector 10, identified by the numeral 20. In this embodiment,resilient sleeves 26 (such as synthetic or natural rubber or a spring)includes a resilient material located between inner ends 25 of thesupports 24. A central portion 21 of connector 20 is located between theresilient sleeves 26. Each sleeve 26 also forms a hinge, and the surface22 provides a stop to limit rotation of the supports 24.

[0049]FIGS. 9a and 9 b illustrate yet another alternative constructionfor the connector 10, identified by the numeral 30. In the connector 30,the inner ends 35 of the supports 34 are connected by a resilient stripof material 36, which can take the form of a V-shaped strip of sprungsteel. The resilient strip of material 36 operates to resiliently biasthe connector 30 so that the inner ends 35 of the supports 34 are urgedapart in the second position (i.e., unstable equilibrium position).Thus, it is possible to manufacture two adjacent supports 34 as a singlepiece, connected at their inner ends 35. The connector 30 has a planarsurface which acts as a stop surface.

[0050]FIGS. 10a, 10 b, 10 c and 11 illustrate yet a further alternativeconstruction for the connector 10, identified as 40. The connector 40 isillustrated in FIG. 10a with the left side of the connector 40 shown inthe expanded position of the sunshade, and with the right side of theconnector 40 shown in the collapsed position of the sunshade. Thisposition is for illustration only and would not be used in normal use.The connector 40 has a quadrilateral central portion 41 with fourgenerally triangular hinged leaves 43, each of which has one side whichis hingedly connected to the central portion 41 by a respective integralrelatively thin section 42. Each thin section 42 forms a separate hingefor the connector 40. Thus, the central portion 41 forms one leaf ofeach hinge and the other leaf of the hinge is formed by an external leaf43. Each external leaf 43 further includes a bore 43 a, shown in phantomin FIG. 10c, that is perpendicular to the hinge 42. The bore 43 areceives an inner end 45 of a support 44. The supports 44 are heldwithin each bore 43 a by the tension in the shade 7 which is attached toboth the outer ends of the supports 44 and to the central portion 41 (onthe other side of connector 40 from the collapsing knob 46). The shade 7is provided in a material that provides some elasticity, so that theshade 7 can operate to resiliently bias the connector 40 in eitherdirection away from the unstable equilibrium position. The opposing endfaces or edges 48 of the central portion 41, on the one hand, and faceor edge 49 of each external leaf 43, on the other hand, abut to form astop. Thus, each leaf 43 is able to rotate relative to the centralportion 41 about the hinge 42 in one direction (i.e., away from the knob46 or in the downward direction in FIG. 10a), but the abutment of theopposed parallel faces 48 and 49 prevents rotation in the oppositedirection (i.e., in the upward direction in FIG. 10a) during normal use.The connector 40 can be made of a relatively hard material such as aplastic or metal.

[0051] The operation of the connector 40 is better illustrated inconnection with FIG. 11. Two opposing leaves 43 are illustrated in thecontext of the central portion 41. The leaf 43 on the left side of FIG.11 is shown in two different positions: the leaf 43 is shown in solidlines in a horizontal position (i.e., the unstable equilibrium positionof the sunshade 1), and in dashed lines in the third stable or deployedposition with the opposing faces 48 and 49 in abutment with each other.When in the third stable or deployed position, the leaf 43 is displacedfrom the horizontal position by an angle AN of approximately three toten degrees. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 11, when the leaf 43 passesthe unstable equilibrium position, it is retained in the third stable ordeployed position until a force (in the downward direction in FIG. 11)is applied to cause the leaf 43 to pass the unstable equilibriumposition again. The resilience of the shade 7 assists in retaining theleaf 43 and the shade 7 in the third stable or deployed position.

[0052] In use, the sunshades 1 of the present invention are adapted tobe positioned between a sun visor 3 and the windscreen 2 of a vehiclealong the upper edge of the sunshade 1, and to be positioned along thedashboard at the lower edge of the sunshade 1. While FIG. 1 illustratesthe sunshade 1 as covering the entire windscreen 2, it is also possibleto provide a plurality of sunshades 1 to cover a windscreen 2, window orother area. For example, FIG. 12A illustrates the deployment of twosunshades 1 in a side-by-side manner to cover a windscreen 2. FIG. 12Billustrates the deployment of three sunshades 1 in a side-by-sidemanner. FIG. 12C illustrates the deployment of four sunshades 1 (tworows of two sunshades 1, one row above the other row) that areconfigured to cover a larger area.

[0053] In addition, the shape of the sunshade 1 does not necessarilyneed to be rectangular. As illustrated in FIGS. 13A-C, the sunshade 1can assume an oval or circular shape. Other shapes, such as trapezoidal,triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, and irregular, can also be provided.

[0054] Moreover, although the connector 40 in FIGS. 10 and 11 isillustrated as having four leaves 43, it is also possible to provide theconnector 40 with any number of leaves 43, with each leaf 43 adapted toconnect a separate support 44. For example, FIGS. 13B and 13C illustrateconnectors 40 having six and three leaves 43, respectively. In thesecases, the configuration of the connector must be adapted to provide theopposing stop surfaces between each leaf and the connector. For example,the connector 40 a in FIG. 13A has a generally rectangular configurationwith four sides, each side adapted to oppose a stop surface from one ofthe four leaves. Similarly, the connector 40 b in FIG. 13B has agenerally hexagonal configuration with six sides, each side adapted tooppose a stop surface from one of the six leaves. Moreover, theconnector 40 c in FIG. 13C has a generally triangular configuration withthree sides, each side adapted to oppose a stop surface from one of thethree leaves.

[0055]FIG. 14 illustrates that more than one connector 40 can beprovided to support the sunshade 1. For example, FIG. 14 illustrates asunshade having two connectors 40 d and 40 e, each having three leaves43. Two of the leaves 43 of each connector 40 d, 40 e are connected to aseparate support 44 that has its outer end attached to a corner of theshade 7. A central support 144 has opposing ends connecting theremaining leaf 43 of each connector 40 d, 40 e. Each connector 40 d and40 e can assume a configuration that provides three sides, each sideadapted to oppose a stop surface from one of the three leaves. Oneadvantage with the provision of a plurality of connectors 40 is that thesupport for the shade 7 is improved while minimizing the number ofsupports 44 that are used.

[0056] It is also possible to affix the sunshade 1 to a window, such asa side window of a vehicle, by using suction cups, VELCRO™ tags forattachment to grab handles, VELCRO™ strips, and the like. As shown inFIG. 15A, a suction cup 50 can be connected to the connector 40 (on theside of the knob 46) to affix the sunshade 1 to the window. Affixationthrough the use of the suction cup 50 brings the sunshade 1 closer tothe window to allow the sunshade 1 to be more effective in shading theinterior of a vehicle. FIG. 15B illustrates the attachment of suctioncups 52 to the shade material 7 in spaced-apart manner. Any number ofsuction cups 50, 52 can be provided, and at any location on theconnector 40 and/or the shade 7.

[0057] FIGS. 16A-16C illustrate an alternative use for the sunshade 1 ofthe present invention, in which the sunshade 1 can be converted into anumbrella. This can be accomplished by providing the connector 40 withoutthe knob 46, and instead of the knob 46, providing a hole 54 on the sameside of the connector 40 where the knob 46 was originally positioned. Toconvert the sunshade 1 into an umbrella, an end of a pole or shaft 56can be inserted into the hole 54 and secured therein, as shown in FIGS.16A and 16C. Alternatively, a pair of fabric straps may be provided, infor example, a sunshade with a quadrilateral connector, each attached toand joining adjacent supports 4 so as to act as a handle. The user'sfingers pass through these fabric loops and allow the user to hold thesunshade 1 in such a way that it prevents the sunshade 1 from opening.The sunshade 1 can then be used as an umbrella by deploying it in thethird stable position.

[0058]FIG. 17 illustrates another modification that can be made to thesunshade 1. In FIG. 17, the sunshade 1 is illustrated as being deployedagainst a windscreen (not shown). A side panel 60 is attached to oneside or edge 62 of the sunshade 1 by way of sewing or VELCRO™ tape. Theside panel 60 may be made from the same material, or a differentmaterial as the shade 7. The side panel 60 is adapted to cover an upperportion of a vehicle seat 64 when the sunshade 1 is itself deployedagainst the windscreen. This is accomplished by resting an outer end 66of the side panel 60 on top of a headrest (shown in phantom in FIG. 17)of the seat 64. Outer end 66 of the side panel 60 my also be providedwith elastic binding or a pocket (to accomodate the headrest) to assistin securing the outer end 66 to the top of a headrest. When used in themanner, the side panel 60 can be effective in protecting the seat 64from heat and sunlight (especially if the seat 64 is upholstered inleather), and in shielding objects placed on the seat 64 from externalview of passer-by.

[0059] The sunshade 1 of the present invention can be used inapplications other than merely shading the interior of an automobile.For example, it can be converted for use as an umbrella, as described inconnection with FIGS. 16A-16C. As another example, the sunshade 1 can beused as a photographic reflector by providing a reflective film or coveron the inside (i.e., the bottom side of the shade 7 as designated by“IN” in FIG. 5a) of the shade 7.

[0060] FIGS. 18A-18D illustrate a modification that can be made to theconnector 40 of FIGS. 10-11. The connector 40 a in FIGS. 18A-18D isessentially the same as the connector 40 of FIGS. 10-11 except for thedifferences noted hereinbelow. Therefore, the same numeral designationsare used in FIGS. 10-11 and 18A-18D where possible except that an “a”has been added to the designations in FIGS. 18A-18D.

[0061]FIGS. 18A and 18B are side views of a portion of the centralportion 41 a and one leaf 143 of the connector 40 a, while FIGS. 18C and18D are the top plan views corresponding to the views of FIGS. 18A and18B, respectively. The central portion 41 a and leaf 143 of theconnector 40 a are the same as the central portion 41 and leaf 43 of theconnector 40 (compare with FIG. 11), except that a fixing or lockingmember 101 is provided along the inner edge 49 a of the leaf 143, and acorresponding groove 102 is provided in the top surface 99 and opposingedge 48 a of the central portion 41a facing the inner edge 49 a of theleaf 143. The locking member 101 can take the form of a protrusion ortongue having an enlarged rounded end 100. The groove 102 can have thesame configuration and size as the locking member 101 to accomodate thelocking member 101.

[0062] In operation, the connector 40 a and its supports 44 a operate inthe same manner as the connector 40 and its supports 44. However, thelocking member 101 and groove 102 allow the leaves 143 to be held in thethird stable or deployed position (or even in the unstable equilibriumposition) without relying on the resilience of the shade 7. In thisregard, FIGS. 18B and 18D illustrate the connector 40a when the sunshade1 is in its fully collapsed position (such as in FIG. 5a). When thesunshade 1 is deployed, the leaves 143 are hinged upwardly about thethin sections 42 a and each locking member 101 is fitted inside itscorresponding groove 102, as shown in FIGS. 18A and 18C. The enlargedend 100 of the locking member 101 retains the locking member 101 insidethe groove 102. To fold and collapse the sunshade 1, the user merelypushes the supports 44 a downwardly to cause the locking member 101 tobe disengaged from the groove 102.

[0063]FIG. 19 illustrates a modification that can be made to thesupports 44 of FIGS. 10-11. The support 44 b in FIG. 19 is essentiallythe same as the support 44 of FIGS. 10-11 except for the differencesnoted hereinbelow. Therefore, the same numeral designations are used inFIGS. 10-11 and 19 for the support 44 where possible except that a “b”has been added to the designations in FIG. 19.

[0064] The support 44 b in FIG. 19 provides varying length so as toallow the sunshade 1 of the present invention to be adjusted todifferent dimensions to fit different windshield sizes. The support 44 bhas a tube portion 111 having an inner end 45 b that is secured insidethe bore 43 a of the leaf 43. The tube portion 111 can be made of aplastic or a metal (e.g., aluminum) material. Part of the tube portion111 has a hollow interior which houses a resilient element 113 (such asa spring). The outer end 114 of the tubular portion 111 is open, so thatthe resilient element 113 can be introduced through the open outer end114. In addition, an inner end 115 of a bar 112 (such as a metal bar) isalso inserted through the open outer end 114 and extends in the hollowinterior of the tube portion 111 to contact or engage the resilientelement 113. The inner end 115 can be enlarged to ensure that it issecurely retained (e.g., by friction fit) inside the tubular portion111. The outer end 116 of the bar 112 is secured inside a pocket 8 ateach corner of the shade 7. After the resilient element 113 and theinner end 115 of the bar 112 have been inserted through the outer end114, the outer end 114 can be indented to prevent the resilient element113 and the inner end 115 of the bar 112 from slipping outside thetubular portion 111.

[0065] In use, the resilient element 113 naturally biases the bar 112radially outwardly so that the overall length of the support 44 b can beadjusted. In particular, the resilient element 113 has a maximum lengthwhich is attained when the resilient element 113 is allowed to extendfreely without the application of any counterbiasing force. Therefore,the resilient element 113 would naturally bias the bar 112 as faroutwardly in the radial direction unless this bias is restricted. Byadjusting the length of the supports 44 b, the overall size (i.e., widthand height) of the sunshade 1 can be adjusted.

[0066]FIG. 20 illustrates a sunshade 1 b =l that utilizes the connector40 of FIGS. 10-11 and the support 44 b of FIG. 19. To deploy thesunshade 1 b, the sunshade 1 b is positioned within the confines of theautomobile windshield. The resilient element 113 will naturally bias thebar 112 radially outwardly until the outer end 116 of the bar 112 abutsa corner of the frame of the windshield. This abutment will prevent thefurther radial bias of the resilient element 113, but also functions toprovide a snug fit of the sunshade 1 b within the confines of the frameof the windshield. The material of the shade 7 b will be folded orwrinkled as the bar 112 is radially extended to provide the necessarycover for the windshield. In one embodiment, two optional fold lines 120and 121 (in phantom) can be provided on either side of the connector 40so that the shade 7 b can be folded in along these two fold lines 120and 121 so as to shorten the span or width of the shade 7 b.

[0067]FIG. 21 illustrates another way of utilizing adjustable supportswith a shade 7 to create a sunshade. The support 44 c in FIG. 21 isessentially the same as the support 44 b of FIG. 19 except for thedifferences noted hereinbelow. Therefore, the same numeral designationsare used in FIGS. 19 and 21 for the supports 44 b and 44 c wherepossible except that a “c” has been added to the designations in FIG.21. The sunshade 1 c of FIG. 21 does not have any connector 40, butinstead has two adjustable supports 44 c. Each support 44 c extends fromone corner (e.g., 125) of the shade 7 c to an opposing diagonal corner(e.g., 126) of the shade 7 c. Each support 44 c has a central tubularportion 111 c with two opposing open ends 114 c. A resilient element 113c is received inside the hollow interior of the tubular portion 111 c,and one bar 112 c extends from inside each open end 114 c radiallyoutwardly towards a corner 125 or 126. The two supports 44c cross orintersect each other at about the center of the sunshade 1 c, and do notneed to be attached or coupled to each other.

[0068] The width and height of the sunshade 1 c can be adjusted byvarying the length of some or all of the four bars 112 c. For example,the bars 112 c for each support 44 c on one side 127 of the sunshade 1 ccan be adjusted without adjusting the bars 112 c for each support 44 con the other side 128. As another example, all four bars 112 c can beadjusted.

[0069] Finally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of theprinciples illustrated herein can be combined. As a non-limitingexample, the connector 40 a of FIGS. 18A-18D can be used together withthe supports 44 b or 44 c of FIGS. 19 or 21.

[0070] While the description above refers to particular embodiments ofthe present invention, it will be understood that many modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanyingclaims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within thetrue scope and spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sunshade, comprising: a shade; and at least twosupports, each support having a length, a first end and a second end,with the second end of each support coupled to the shade at spaced-apartlocations thereof, each support having an adjustable length.
 2. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein each support has a resilient element and barcoupled thereto, with the bar including the second end.
 3. The device ofclaim 1, wherein each support further includes a tubular portion havinga hollow interior that houses the resilient element.
 4. The device ofclaim 2, wherein each resilient element is coupled to the first end ofeach support, and further including a connector coupled to the first endof at least two of the supports.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein theshade is adapted to assume an unstable equilibrium position in which thesupports and the shade are substantially coplanar with the connector, acollapsed position when the shade and supports are on one side of theunstable equilibrium position in which the shade is folded, and adeployed position when the shade and supports are on the other side ofthe unstable equilibrium position in which the supports and the shadeare expanded.
 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least twosupports comprises two supports, with the first end of each supportcoupled to the shade at spaced-apart locations thereof.
 7. The device ofclaim 4, wherein the connector has a central portion, and one leaf forcoupling the first end of each support, with the leaf hingedly connectedto the central portion by an integral thin section.
 8. The device ofclaim 7, wherein the leaf has a locking member, and the central portionhas a groove, with the locking member fitted inside the groove to holdthe leaf at a fixed position with respect to the central portion.
 9. Asunshade, comprising: a shade; at least two supports, each supporthaving a first end and a second end, with the second end of each supportcoupled to the shade at spaced-apart locations thereof; and a connectorcoupled to the first end of at least two of the supports, the connectorhaving a central portion that has a groove, and one leaf for couplingthe first end of each support, with the leaf hingedly connected to thecentral portion by an integral thin section and having a locking memberfitted inside the groove to hold the leaf at a fixed position withrespect to the central portion.
 10. The sunshade of claim 9, wherein theshade is adapted to assume an unstable equilibrium position in which thesupports and the shade are substantially coplanar with the connector, acollapsed position when the shade and supports are on one side of theunstable equilibrium position in which the shade is folded, and adeployed position when the shade and supports are on the other side ofthe unstable equilibrium position in which the supports and the shadeare expanded.
 11. The sunshade of claim 9, further including a stop, andwherein the connector engages the stop when the shade is in the deployedposition.
 12. The sunshade of claim 9, wherein the connector acts as ahinge for the shade about the unstable equilibrium position.
 13. Thesunshade of claim 9, wherein the at least two supports comprises foursupports, and the shade has four sides and four corners, with the secondend of each support connected to a separate corner.
 14. The sunshade ofclaim 9, wherein the central portion can be provided in a configurationselected from the group consisting of quadrilateral, rectangular,triangular, hexagonal, trapezoidal and pentagonal.
 15. The sunshade ofclaim 9, wherein the central portion has one stop edge adjacent eachthin section, and the leaf has one stop edge adjacent each thin section,wherein the stop edges of the corresponding leaf and the central portionengage each other when the shade is in the deployed position.
 16. Thesunshade of claim 9, wherein each support has a length, a first end anda second end, with the second end of each support coupled to the shadeat spaced-apart locations thereof, each support having an adjustablelength.
 17. The sunshade of claim 16, wherein each support has aresilient element and bar coupled thereto, with the bar including thesecond end.
 18. The sunshade of claim 16, wherein each support furtherincludes a tubular portion having a hollow interior that houses theresilient element.
 19. The sunshade of claim 16, wherein each resilientelement is coupled to the first end of each support.